CHANGES IN THE FLORISTIC COMPOSITION AND ECOLOGY OF RUDERAL FLORA OF THE TOWN OF KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, SERBIA FOR A PERIOD OF 20 YEARS

The paper is concerned with the results of the ruderal flora investigation carried out in the vicinity of the town of Kosovska Mitrovica (Serbia) and its surroundings, in different urban and suburban habitats, and is based on the copious floristic researches conducted between 1995 and 1996 and repeated in 2016. The total number of 444 taxa was reported in the course of 2016. Not only was reported the presence of 386 taxa in the same areas between 1995 and 1996, but also 58 new taxa were recorded in recent field explorations. The ruderal flora composition in Kosovska Mitrovica area has changed by 13.06% in the past 20 years. Detailed taxonomic, ecological, and phyto-geographical analyses were provided for the discovered synanthropic flora. Special attention was paid to the appearance of new invasive species unregistered 20 years ago, but which, due to the more intensive anthropogenic influence, have become more diverse in number and frequency in the investigated areas.